Quotes by Historian | Beyond Motive 3/35

top of page

Quotes by Historian

"A society that has made "nostalgia" a marketable commodity on the cultural exchange quickly repudiates the suggestion that life in the past was in any important way better than life today."

"A society that has made "nostalgia" a marketable commodity on the cultural exchange quickly repudiates the suggestion that life in the past was in any important way better than life today."

Christopher Lasch, American Historian

Life, Society, Past, Today

56

"Psychoanalysts are not occupied with the minds of their patients; they do not believe in the mind but in a cerebral intestine."

"Psychoanalysts are not occupied with the minds of their patients; they do not believe in the mind but in a cerebral intestine."

Bernard Berenson, American Historian

56

"Christianity is usually called a religion. As a religion it has had a wider geographic spread and is more deeply rooted among more peoples than any other religion in the history of mankind."

"Christianity is usually called a religion. As a religion it has had a wider geographic spread and is more deeply rooted among more peoples than any other religion in the history of mankind."

Kenneth Scott Latourette, American Historian

History, Religion, Christianity, Mankind

56

"To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last product of civilization."

"To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last product of civilization."

Arnold J. Toynbee, British Historian

Civilization, Leisure

56

"Not a breath of air stirred over the free and open prairie; the clouds were like light piles of cotton; and where the blue sky was visible, it wore a hazy and languid aspect."

"Not a breath of air stirred over the free and open prairie; the clouds were like light piles of cotton; and where the blue sky was visible, it wore a hazy and languid aspect."

Francis Parkman, American Historian

Climate, Clouds, Light, Open, Sky

56

"Our sympathy is cold to the relation of distant misery."

"Our sympathy is cold to the relation of distant misery."

Edward Gibbon, English Historian

Sympathy, Misery

56

"Style is the image of character."

"Style is the image of character."

Edward Gibbon, English Historian

Character, Style

55

"The participation of the people in their own government was the more significant, because the colonies actually had what England only seemed to have, - three departments of government."

"The participation of the people in their own government was the more significant, because the colonies actually had what England only seemed to have, - three departments of government."

Albert Bushnell Hart, American Historian

Government, People, England, Participation

55

"Civilization is a movement and not a condition, a voyage and not a harbor."

"Civilization is a movement and not a condition, a voyage and not a harbor."

Arnold J. Toynbee, British Historian

55

"My assumption is that fundamentally the picture of the human animal, as developed by Freud, is largely right."

"My assumption is that fundamentally the picture of the human animal, as developed by Freud, is largely right."

Peter Gay, American Historian

Psychology, Right

54

"History is little more than the register of the crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind."

"History is little more than the register of the crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind."

Edward Gibbon, English Historian

History, Mankind

54

"Distinguished ancestors shed a powerful light on their descendants, and forbid the concealment either of their merits or of their demerits."

"Distinguished ancestors shed a powerful light on their descendants, and forbid the concealment either of their merits or of their demerits."

Sallust, Roman Historian

54

"Opinions alter, manners change, creeds rise and fall, but the moral laws are written on the table of eternity."

"Opinions alter, manners change, creeds rise and fall, but the moral laws are written on the table of eternity."

Lord Acton, British Historian

Change, Eternity, Laws, Manners

54

"A good lawyer is a bad Christian."

"A good lawyer is a bad Christian."

John Lothrop Motley, American Historian

54

"Dissent is the highest form of patriotism."

"Dissent is the highest form of patriotism."

Howard Zinn, American Historian

Patriotism, Dissent

54

"Socialism means slavery."

"Socialism means slavery."

Lord Acton, British Historian

Ideology, Slavery, Socialism

53

"We all admire the wisdom of people who come to us for advice."

"We all admire the wisdom of people who come to us for advice."

Arthur Helps, British Historian

Wisdom, People, Advice

53

"The English Bible - a book which, if everything else in our language should perish, would alone suffice to show the whole extent of its beauty and power."

"The English Bible - a book which, if everything else in our language should perish, would alone suffice to show the whole extent of its beauty and power."

Thomas B. Macaulay, English Historian

Beauty, Power, Bible

53

"The whole story of the comfort women, the system of forced sexual slavery, the medical experiments of Unit 731, is not something that is in the US psyche. That is changing because many books are coming out."

"The whole story of the comfort women, the system of forced sexual slavery, the medical experiments of Unit 731, is not something that is in the US psyche. That is changing because many books are coming out."

Iris Chang, Chinese Historian

Medical, Women, Books, Comfort

53

"When you control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions."

"When you control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions."

Carter G. Woodson, American Historian

Control, Actions, Man, Thinking

53

"Corruption, the most infallible symptom of constitutional liberty."

"Corruption, the most infallible symptom of constitutional liberty."

Edward Gibbon, English Historian

Corruption, Liberty

53

"Where all are guilty, no one is; confessions of collective guilt are the best possible safeguard against the discovery of culprits, and the very magnitude of the crime the best excuse for doing nothing."

"Where all are guilty, no one is; confessions of collective guilt are the best possible safeguard against the discovery of culprits, and the very magnitude of the crime the best excuse for doing nothing."

Hannah Arendt, German Historian

Crime, Discovery, Guilt, Nothing

53

"The puritan hated bear baiting, not because it gave pain to the bear, but because it gave pleasure to the spectators."

"The puritan hated bear baiting, not because it gave pain to the bear, but because it gave pleasure to the spectators."

Thomas B. Macaulay, English Historian

53

"The philosophic spirit of inquiry may be traced to brute curiosity, and that to the habit of examining all things in search of food."

"The philosophic spirit of inquiry may be traced to brute curiosity, and that to the habit of examining all things in search of food."

William Winwood Reade, Scottish Historian

Food, Habit, Curiosity, May

52

"Susceptibility to the highest forces is the highest genius."

"Susceptibility to the highest forces is the highest genius."

Henry B. Adams, American Historian

52

"All things atrocious and shameless flock from all parts to Rome."

"All things atrocious and shameless flock from all parts to Rome."

Tacitus, Roman Historian

52

"They are more than men at the outset of their battles; at the end they are less than the women."

"They are more than men at the outset of their battles; at the end they are less than the women."

Titus Livius, Roman Historian

Man, Men, Women, End

52

"The great medley of Oregon and California emigrants, at their camps around Independence, had heard reports that several additional parties were on the point of setting out from St. Joseph's farther to the northward."

"The great medley of Oregon and California emigrants, at their camps around Independence, had heard reports that several additional parties were on the point of setting out from St. Joseph's farther to the northward."

Francis Parkman, American Historian

52

"Ambition breaks the ties of blood, and forgets the obligations of gratitude."

"Ambition breaks the ties of blood, and forgets the obligations of gratitude."

Sallust, Roman Historian

Gratitude, Ambition, Blood

52

"My first name - I have no middle name - was chosen by my father, as he told me, on that solitary walk in the forested hills. He selected it from a verse of the seventh chapter of Isaiah; there was no Immanuel among our ancestors known to him."

"My first name - I have no middle name - was chosen by my father, as he told me, on that solitary walk in the forested hills. He selected it from a verse of the seventh chapter of Isaiah; there was no Immanuel among our ancestors known to him."

Immanuel Velikovsky, Belarusian Historian

Family, Father, First, Name

52

"The great men of power who seek to change the nations they belong to usually are pretty terrible people."

"The great men of power who seek to change the nations they belong to usually are pretty terrible people."

John Keegan, English Historian

Change, Men, Power, People

52

"The Stuart sovereigns of England steadily attempted to strengthen their power, and the resistance to that effort caused an immense growth of Parliamentary influence."

"The Stuart sovereigns of England steadily attempted to strengthen their power, and the resistance to that effort caused an immense growth of Parliamentary influence."

Albert Bushnell Hart, American Historian

Power, Growth, Effort, England

52

"The vanity of loving fine clothes and new fashion, and placing value on ourselves by them is one of the most childish pieces of folly."

"The vanity of loving fine clothes and new fashion, and placing value on ourselves by them is one of the most childish pieces of folly."

Matthew Hale, British Historian

Appearance, Clothes, Fashion, Folly, Value

51

"Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest do not happen at all. The conscientious historian will correct these defects."

"Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest do not happen at all. The conscientious historian will correct these defects."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

Time, Rest, Right, Will

51

"The first duty of an historian is to be on guard against his own sympathies."

"The first duty of an historian is to be on guard against his own sympathies."

James Anthony Froude, English Historian

51

"Only on the edge of the grave can man conclude anything."

"Only on the edge of the grave can man conclude anything."

Henry B. Adams, American Historian

Conclusion, Grave, Man

51

"There is no error so monstrous that it fails to find defenders among the ablest men."

"There is no error so monstrous that it fails to find defenders among the ablest men."

Lord Acton, British Historian

Man, Men, Error

51

"Nothing is so useless as a general maxim."

"Nothing is so useless as a general maxim."

Thomas B. Macaulay, English Historian

Generalization, Maxim, Nothing

51

"In my own case, who have spent my whole life in the practice of virtue, right conduct from habitual has become natural."

"In my own case, who have spent my whole life in the practice of virtue, right conduct from habitual has become natural."

Sallust, Roman Historian

Life, Virtue, Practice, Right

51

"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Lord Acton, British Historian

51

"Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill."

"Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill."

Barbara Tuchman, American Historian

History, Science, Thought, Civilization

51

"In my opinion, he only may be truly said to live and enjoy his being who is engaged in some laudable pursuit, and acquires a name by some illustrious action, or useful art."

"In my opinion, he only may be truly said to live and enjoy his being who is engaged in some laudable pursuit, and acquires a name by some illustrious action, or useful art."

Sallust, Roman Historian

Art, Action, Being, May

51

"The human race's prospects of survival were considerably better when we were defenceless against tigers than they are today when we have become defenceless against ourselves."

"The human race's prospects of survival were considerably better when we were defenceless against tigers than they are today when we have become defenceless against ourselves."

Arnold J. Toynbee, British Historian

Survival, Race, Today

51

"The woman who is known only through a man is known wrong."

"The woman who is known only through a man is known wrong."

Henry B. Adams, American Historian

Man, Woman, Wrong

51

"The New England conscience does not stop you from doing what you shouldn't-it just stops you from enjoying it."

"The New England conscience does not stop you from doing what you shouldn't-it just stops you from enjoying it."

Cleveland Amory, American Historian

Conscience, England

51

"The destiny of man is in his own soul."

"The destiny of man is in his own soul."

Herodotus, Greek Historian

Soul, Destiny, Man

51

"Civilization begins with order, grows with liberty and dies with chaos."

"Civilization begins with order, grows with liberty and dies with chaos."

Will Durant, American Historian

Civilization, Chaos, Liberty, Order

51

"In battle it is the cowards who run the most risk; bravery is a rampart of defense."

"In battle it is the cowards who run the most risk; bravery is a rampart of defense."

Sallust, Roman Historian

Battle, Bravery, Cowards, Defense

50

"The new always happens against the overwhelming odds of statistical laws and their probability, which for all practical, everyday purposes amounts to certainty; the new therefore always appears in the guise of a miracle."

"The new always happens against the overwhelming odds of statistical laws and their probability, which for all practical, everyday purposes amounts to certainty; the new therefore always appears in the guise of a miracle."

Hannah Arendt, German Historian

Certainty, Laws

50

"That Rome was comparatively great and wealthy is certain."

"That Rome was comparatively great and wealthy is certain."

Goldwin Smith, Canadian Historian

50

bottom of page